Signaling system for electric railways.



8 v -PATENTED 881 -1808; 0. E.-SGRIBNER.. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR :EL'EGTRIG RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. l, 1905'.

'- following is 1a ratus dooperatIn been usual to employ separate testing and UNITED sTAg Es PATENT orrrcn CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, OF JERICHO, VERMONT,

ILLINOIS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRiC RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December I, 1905. Serial No.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. SGRIBNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jericho, in the county of Chittenden and Statetof Ver out, have invented a certain new and usegul Improvement in Signaling Systems for l ectric Railways, of which the full, clear, concise, and exact description. v

My invention relates to a railway signaling system, and more especially to means for testing the selective operation of a plurality of signals.

In -"the operation of a' signalin system where a numb r of signals are contro led from a central station by'a single piece of appa with apparatus at each substation it is esirous 0 have a test-circuit; such that the operator at the central office may test the movements of the signaling apparatus at the various substations to determine whether it has operated correctly and whether a articular, signal hasmove into the desire position as, for example, the danger position,

Heretofore in systems bf this kind it has signal-setting devices. n i my invention, however, both the si nal-setting ositions and. the testing positigns are place on the same device'in such r 'ati on' to each other that a partial movement of the central-station device will give the positions for closing the signal-setting circuit and a subsequent continued movement will give the position for closing the testing-circuit. Heretofore in systems of this kind employing a device at the central station for sending impulses of current over the line to operate step-by-step mechanisms at each signaling-station it has been assumed that the apparatus would work synchronously and that for a certain number of impulses sent over the line from the central station the step-by-step mechanisms at each signaling-station would advance a corresponding number of steps. If the apparatus could be made to o erate in erfect ste this would be true, am it wouh be possib e to provide a test-circuit connection which would be made through a definite numberof ste s forward after the setting of a signal.

y way of illustration suppose we have five stations on a line and our substation devices are put into operative condition to set a signal by advancing one step for station No. 1', two steps for station No. 2, &c., up to five steps for station No. 5. Let us first consider an arrangement in which to get the testconnections. We continue on and advance one step for station No. 1, two steps for station No. 2.800., up to five steps for station No. 5 in a similarorder. Let us assume in using the above arrangement that it is desired to send four impulses over the line. Let us further suppose that through a slip in the mechanism the step-by-step devices at the signaling-stations advance onl three ste therefore in reality set t No. 3 instead of the No. 4 signal. advance to the testing position, stepping up four steps, the devices at the si nahngestations would land on the step w ich would give the test-circuit connection for station No. 3. -Under such conditions the centralstation apparatus points to station No. 4 and can receive current from the No. 3 testingcircuit, and hence it will be possible to operate the testing-signal for No. 4 stationand get a false test-signal. I have found in practice that the step-by-ste subject to such faults an are liable to miss a step and et out of synchronism. In order mechanisms are ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN W e signal 0 station If we now to avoid this false test-signal, I have invented a new arrangement of the test lation to the positions for settin the signal. In my arrangement I placet e steps for advancing to a position for setting the signal positions in reat a selected station in the usual way-that is, one step for station No. 1, two steps for station No. 2, 800., up to five steps for station No. 5. I then arrange the test positions in a backward notation, following on the signalsetting positions, so that I advance one step for test of station No. 5, two steps for test of station No. 4, &c;, u to five steps for test of station No. I. It will thus be seen that an I false move like the one outlined above will cause the-oentral-station apparatus to pointto station No. 4,'while the step-b -stepdevice, at the signaling-stations will step for station No. 5. Not having yet arrived at the osition for station No. 3, the onl one at w '01) the signalv is set andfrom which current can and on test signaling-stations.

r a series of holes S T ranged so. that they may be several signal-Stations pending application to Frank 'tation of the arm A is the -l the testing i with relation statiom there will be no test-current on the central-office apparatus signal can be received. My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a front viewof the face of a central-station selecting apparatus showing the arrangement of setting and testing positions. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a system in whichmy invention is applied, illustrating the circuits between the apparatus at the 0 erators office and the apparatus controlled thereby at one of the substations Fig. 3 is a diagram of the test-circuit. Like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters throughout the different views. In this system which is the subject of a co- R. "McBerty', there is a central station connected by two limbs or conductors L L with a plurality of At the central station is a selector and current-sending device provided with a testing circuit and lamp. At each signaling-station and signal-setting mechanism.

The plate- I, of insul the operators station. I A shaft S, carryinga toothed wheel C, is rotatably mounted in said plate. A pairol'switchspringsc are arranged to be operated by the v S is an ce ofan annular plate B on the front of'the plate P. In the right-hand portion of the plate are S 8 &c., which arearengaged by a pin 1) as the arm A is revolved. These holes are numbered consecutively to correspond to the on'the line. lug g is secured on the arm ,so as to pass over a series of plungerbuttons 9 when the arm is rotated and force them momentarily down to break the contact 7'. A terminal It is connected to each button g 'lhebuttonLs g, as shown in Fig. 1, are located at testing positions T T T'", 820., arranged in reverse notation from that of the holes S S S", &c. it will be seen, therrfore, that while the. first hole S reached by the rosetting position For station No. .l theiirst tcst-luitton"l"" reached by said arm is the testing position forstation No. 5 and that, as shown in Fig. 1, before reaching the testing position for station No.

positions for all the other stations must be passed. Y

1 I P, &c., are test-lamps forstati'ons 1 '2 3, -&c., respectively, dicate that a signal ha sp'ondingstation.

The signal-setting positions S, the testing positions T, &c., are so s been set at thc corre- &c., and arranged to each other and t and hence'no' test-- is 'a selecting device atiiig material,.such as slate',"forn1s the mounting iorthe device at I teeth of the wheel C.- Secured to the front end of the shaft arm A, adapted to travel over the in under side of the which when lighted in' be teeth I upon the ratchet-wheel C that (1 over any one of said when the arm signal 'settnig the contactsprings c are closed; but

arm is over the testing positions tron.

ows phore. at

ample, at station N o 4.

operator hole S o lows the pin by lock the mg the makes and springs c, so 'that a series rent are B through switch-springs ductor Z, to groun and M to' attrac magnet M moves the pawl d curved end to prong, of

ra tchet-whee substation a number of t at each the numl this movemcnt the tron No.

to close; the

but none close the The-operation of the system- Suppose it is des will be a a1- 1I8(l to set a semasomepoint along thetrack-for ex- The c depresses the button in which itf the circular plate B.

breaks the circuit a entral-station a, which lifts is resting and e selector in a righthand direction around the face unt-i y l is over He then alb' to drop into the hole, and there- 5 arm in that position. arm around the toothed In -swingwheel '0 tthe contact of impulses of our.- '85 sent over the line from the battery magnet M, conductor (1.

ttheir'armaturesl ride down Toff wl engages the c, over'line L, con- L2, magnet M I This ener izes the ma as M n of all the substations,

causing them 0 rmature m of and allows its )eroiimpulses sent over ieline' In 1 pin pon'th'e 4 will'be contact of the .swi the pins at the otlie contact,

carried far eno as they occu disk D of sta-f ugh around tch' spriIigs' s; I00 r stations will py'ditferent angular positions on the disk Theteeth of the ratchet-wheel C and the'arin A are relatively so air is b S, &c., by ratchet-wlwel willbe in position to position over the pins 1) one of th contact-springs '0 together to.

circuit closed. Tl

remains att net M A remains loc carriedbythe armature m pro ected in the path of t crank E.

handle A on the down, th

contact with the me uiner ring B com] ucto

contacts The contacts a c, when 0 he '1 he creby causin on the face of the l s circuit from batter ranged that whenever any of the holes'S S iusthe armature racted as long ked at position S,

tallic segment b e teeth f the press-the maintain the mof magno asthe arm The lip f, .therebyheld lip f on the operator uow 'depresses', the n arm A, forcing the button I) g the spring I) tomakc of the )late P. This y B' through :20

r 1:, segment I), spring bflarm'A,

conducto )its core N. The

' locks the vane V ..danger. The draw can d and close 0 so causes crank contact-F, comlu'ctor r 'l to ground.

- magnct N 'hecome's energized pf. 'r ng ages t2 5 in pos tion to, ingup of the :Eto' break ontacts c 1' lose d complete a ciro the Him again sends impulses over vanc'e the step-by-step mechanisms at each station. If these steps do not miss and the devices step around synchronously with the selector-arm A when position over T, the conin -station No. 4 will be v closed by a pin p and at all the other sub- As arm A passes over on its under .side will engage In this position the contact with the consequent deenergization of magnet M and closure of contacts s As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, a test-current then comes from the signaling-station off a high-potential line T, conductor t, re-

contacts 8 and s, conductors line L to the arm A of the selector through .traced from battery B,

(which will be closed, the lug g revolution of arm A over the button g,) lamp P, armature-contact I, and the magnet-frame, back i will thus maintain the local circuit closed and the hted condition until the condescribed hereinindicates that which the step-by-step devices at the signaling-stations have not operated correctly, but have missed a step, and hence contact s for station A is at position operator depresses from battery B arm -A, line I i, conductor 1 I, contact 8 at station the solenoidof course, 3, though the operator at station No. 4. The in testing continues to revolve the T, and as a result of the missed step in the setting of the cuit from a high-voltage trolley-line 'l through R, lamp 0, contacts to an auxiliary and conductor 1.

Having set the signal, the operator desires to test and see if the apparatus has operated e transfers. the normal ground ground signal the testing-contact s is closed at station No. 5. The arm A is over test-button T but as the signal at No. 5 station is not set there is no current on the arm A, and consequently the lamp B isnot lighted. The 0 erator would therefore incorrectoperaton of the system. This, as is apparent, is due to my improved arrange correctly. He therefore withdraws pin ment of testing positions, sinceoy my arf'rom hole S and continues the revolution 0 rangement the test for station M).- 4 is made the arm A around to its zero position. This before the arm A reaches the position T signaling-station said arm reaches a tact s at the signa spr ng 0 18 open sistance R, lamp 0, contacts e a, lead magnet-winding the button g,'spring h,

R and R have ground. The resistances cientl the big local circuit of the selector.

circuit of the lamp P. This circuit may locking-winding contact j, havin by passe the continued to battery. The locking-winding lamp P in a li tact is opene as will be after. The lighting-of lamp P signal No. 4 has been set.

Let us nowconsider a condition in No. 3 is closed when the arm S for station No. 4. The handle A and sends current over conductor :0, ring 1), spring 12 No. 3, conductor 1- through magnet N to ground. This sets, the si nal at station intends to set signal operator arm A around to test-button the line L to ad- I I, back over suf- reduced the current tapped off from i-voltage line to permit its use in the The energizetion of winding 4, of the magnet I will cause it to draw up its armature 1, closing the local Now the-operation of lighting a test-signal lamp in the local circuit at the central station depends on current being on the arm of the selector before or at the time it reaches a test-button. If current is on the arm from any station at which a signal has been set, the next test-button the arm comes in g'ontact with will cause the mrrcsponiling ts siainp to light. In my arrangemcm ihc 'iest-l:nitton of the signs it is d-; u-ed in as. and which supposedly hasheen sex i; passedin the event of a step or steps having been missed before any current is on the arm. and hence the testlamp of that signal cannot be lighted falsely.

It will be seen hat the operator is unable to get a false test even ?l' he sets a wrong signal and operates the signaling apparatus incorrectly. l urthermorc. the signal-setting positions and the testing positions are such then test, and having set hissignal he advances naturally into the testing position. It is im ossible to get connection to the out side high-voltage line unless the semaphoresignal has been set, and having beenset the be is established, and the lighting of any lamp c, P, 1 ,820., indicates that the signal has been set, that the lamp 0 has been lighted, and that the hi lvpotential trolley-currentis on the-line. not fulfilled, the lamps P P P ;&c., are not lighted when the arm A passes over the buttons g at positions T T 620., respectively, which indicates thatthere is either no current on the trolley-wire T or. that the lamp 0 is out or that the semaphore at the station tested has failed to operate. 7

The means for releasing the semaphore signal, while not formin part of just prior closed,

position the contact-springs .c are from battery he informed of t..c'

that the operator must "first set his si nal and my. invention, may be convenient y comprised in the thus completing the above-described circuit circuit is closed above-described test-circuit (shown in Fig 3) j 1' any of the above conditions are from ground throu h battery B, conductor as, spring 6 arm A, ine L, conductor l, contact s conductor Z,magnet M conductor Z to ground, thus holding back ratchet m and closing contact 8. This s hortcircuits con? tact s and maintains current in magnet M when magnet M releases its-armature and opens contact 8 As the arm A continues its revolution to the zero-point the contact-spring is again gpened, thereby de'energizing niagnet ll.

conductor Z, solenoid N,

he armature m being released, the curved end of the pawl d rides uponthe pin d and withdraws the )awl (Z from engagement with the ratchet-wheel W. Said wheel and the disk D under the influence of a spring (not shown) return to their normal or zeropositions with the pin p resting on stop p since both pawls d and m are withdrawn. The arm A has now returned to its normal or zero position. When the 0 erator desires to re-. ease the sema hore, e again rotates the arm A to hole 5, sending impulses over the line, and the pin No. 4, the circuit being as heretofpre described. The operator now raisesthe lever A, thereby depressing the lunger K, the insulated head K of which forces out the switch-springs k 7c to close their contacts. This closes a circuit from ground through battery B bSLClQcOVGI' lines L and L. That over line L may be traced as follows: from ground through battery B, conductor 9:, con tact 1c, conductor ac, line L, conductor Z, magnet M, conductor Z magnet M to ground. The other circuit is traced from ground through battery B, conductor 90, contact is, conductor m line L, conductor Z conductor F to ground. The energization of solenoid M causes it to draw up its plunger suilicicntly to raise the lipf out of engagement with the lip f, so that when magnet M is deenergized thelip will be withdrawn out of the path of the ip f, will be free to drop to its normal position, when the solenoid N is deenergized. arm A is now continued in-its rotation; but the springs c are short-circuited' at k the selecting devices at the signal-boxes (lo not move, and hence the contact. s at signal No.4

remains closed. As

the arm approgwhes zero the 111g 9 depresses the button 9 and opens the lamp-circuit at contact y, releasing the armature I of the magnet l, and as the test circuit is open at s the armature remains unattracted'and the lamp P is extinguished. When near the zero position, the magnets M and M release the scleeting devices, which again return to their normal position, ashereinbei'ore described. The plunger K is now returned to its normal position, opening contacts 76 and l." and removing all current from the system, thereby deenergizing all the magnets. 'l.lu /solenoid N being deenergized p closes contact s at signal contact 8,.

and the semaphore-arm- The subsequent continued 111 and the lip f being out of the path of the lip f, as above described, the semaphore-arm drops to its normal position. I

' 1. In a selective signaling system, a selector having signal-setting positions and test ing positions arranged in inverse order with relation to each other, whereby a partial movement of said device will give the positions for setting the signal and a subsequent continued movement will give, in'inverse order, the positions for testing the same, sub-- stantially as described.

' 2. in a selective signaling system, the coinbination with signal-setting and signaltesting mechanism and circuits therefor, of a selector-frame having a series of signal-$etting positions, a series of signal-testing positions following said setting positions and arranged in an inverse order with relation thereto, and an arm adapted to travel over said positions to operate said setting and testing mechan- 3. In a selective signaling system, a selector-frame having a series of signal-setting positions concentrically arranged thereon, a s'eries of conccntrically-arranged signal-testing positions following in inverse order said setting positions, tial movement of which. will give in succession the positions for setting a signaland. a ovemcnt will give in inverse order the positions for same, substantially as described.

4. A selective signaling system comprising a central station and a plurality'ofsubsta-' tions, circuit connections between the same, a test-signal at the central stationfor-each of the substations, a semaphore at each substation, a selector at the central station having a pluralityof signalsetting positions corresponding to the suhstations,'a plurality-of testing positions followingsaid tions in inverse order thereto, a selectoi a'rm adapted to travel over said positions to set a seniaphore'and to test the operation thereof, a test-circuit adapted for connection to one of said substations by the'operation of the semaphore at said station, and a local circuit at the central oilice adapted-tol be closed by current from the test-circuit to operate the test-signalonly when the selector-arm 'is in the testing position corresponding to the substation at which a signal has been set.

5. The combination with a signaling "system for selectively setting from a central station a signal at one of a plurality of subs tations, a selecting device and a signal-setting mechanism at each of the substations, a selector-frame at the central station ha ing signal-setting positions concentrically 'arranged thereon, a series of concentrically-arranged signal-testing positions on said frame following in inverse order positions, a unidirectional rotatingarm for tcsting the setting posi-' said signal-setting and a' rotatable arm the parsending impulses of current over a line to 0psignal in a local circuit, and a lockin -relay crate the selecting devices to select a substaoperated by said current from the se jecton tion, means on the seleetonarrn for applying arm and controlling the display of said testcurrent from a battery over a line to operate signal. the signal-setting mechanism, a switch op- In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe erated by the signal-setting mechanism to my name this 1st day of September, A. D. apply, through the cooperation of the select- 1905.

ing device, current from an external source CHARLES E. SCRIBNER. to the sclector-arm when said arm reaches VVrtnesses: a testing position corresponding to the sub- RAY T. 'ALLOWAY,

station at which a signal has been set, a test; BERT STARR YORK. 

